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"Trying to play at 98% when you have been used to being tested at 96% is actually a massive change."

That's what I thought when people talked about Bristol coming up and suddenly being really good and competitive - they have been used to only being really tested once every few weeks, if that. They could probably relax after 60 or even 40 minutes most weeks in the Championship. Now they need to be on it for 80 minutes every week and that's a big psychological change, not to mention a test of physical and mental fitness.

"In the short term perhaps we need to protect a promoted team from relegation in their first year."

I would go with that on two conditions:
1) if the promoted team finishes bottom, then the team that finishes 11th is relegated instead, rather than using it as an excuse to ringfence the league for a year.
2) that it isn't used as an excuse to continue to underfund the promoted team - they should get equal funding to the rest of the Premiership teams.

Just quoting some of your post from yesterday on the subject of Reality check. You made the same point about relegation and promotion a while back, and are just going over the same subject again on this thread. I don't think it's good to have a go at what others post, calling it boring, only then to repeat yourself, which I find boring.
This is after all an open forum and we don't have to follow your agenda. Just a thought ! and by the way I don't smoke.

So this is only the second time I have ever mentioned it, yet you feel moved to post that utterly childish comment.

Hmmm, maybe writing the above little story could be something to do with the fact that if I didn't get something written up last night the message board would have automatically closed down.

I am sure we all eagerly await the article that you will be writing to keep the site going. I expect it will be something entirely fresh, entirely new, and on a subject that you have never mentioned ever before, not even once.

Thank you for your positive contribution to the site, I am sure everyone appreciates it.

Monkey1So this is only the second time I have ever mentioned it, yet you feel moved to post that utterly childish comment.
Hmmm, maybe writing the above little story could be something to do with the fact that if I didn't get something written up last night the message board would have automatically closed down.

I am sure we all eagerly await the article that you will be writing to keep the site going. I expect it will be something entirely fresh, entirely new, and on a subject that you have never mentioned ever before, not even once.

Thank you for your positive contribution to the site, I am sure everyone appreciates it.

Whats the crack with the site closing down Monkey? Are we obliged to contribute articles to prevent some type of winding up order?

Brizz supporter here. I thought it was a good article, although the gulf seems more than 96% to 98%. The top teams don't make many mistakes, their pressure has been constant and our mistakes have too quickly dissipated any attacking threat.

I definitely think the championship needs some support especially when there is so much money in the English game.

bird loverBottom of Prem down top of Championship go up.2\3\4 and bottom but one in Prem play off, sorted and fair.

Not really......

Still would increase the season by 2-3 weeks and with the uncertainty would mean the 2/3/4 placed team would be unable to plan for promotion until well after everyone had signed up the best players.

This thing about promoted teams not being anle to sign good players isn't true. We still managed to sign Mike Blair (Scotland's most capped scrum half) and Andy Saull (very highly regarded round the Prem at the time. Welsh even signed Weepu and Barkley, granted they didn't really perform but they were very talented players. Bristol have, on paper, a very talented squad.

You could also say teams can't plan for next season if relegation is settled late yet we re-signed Gopperth during the season we went down and signed Rory Lawson in the summer.

Promotion and relegation isn't so much the problem as clubs, DORs and MDs using it as an excuse for their own limitations and lack of ambition.

Leeds first game of season attracted 1200 ish people the Yorkshire brand is not working,the investment into the Brand is also not going to work. Anyone in Doncaster or Rotherham say with money to invest in rugby Union would not invest in Leeds that would go down like a lead ballon in their respective areas!!! We in the North do need another Premiership team but I am sure it will not be Leeds on many grounds.we need to sustain our position first as our own job has a long way to go.Not sure we have the right Rugby people in place to take us forward.

Personally I don't agree entirely with the 'it's not fair as it's too late to sign decent players' routine. I think everyone knows that a newly promoted side are likely to struggle, this includes players. Not many players would jump at the chance for a season of struggle if other offers are on the table. If a good player is available he is likely to opt for a team that, maybe, isn't looking at being hammered all season long.. As mentioned above it's a convenient excuse to cover for an immediate relegation.

Wensleydale FalconMy concerns for Carnegie would be their fan base......granted ours isn't massive but we are now getting upwards of 6000k for most games with the odd 7/8k thrown in.
That's down to a combination of things mainly the massive amounts of hard work that Mick Hogan and his team have put in over the last 2/3 years and the improvements made around KP.

Carnegie would need a massive financial backer as they are struggling to get many more than 2k and there just doesn't appear to be the appetite for rugby union in Leeds.

I would love to see Carnegie in the Prem but I can't see them being sustainable.

Now then Wensleydale!

Thing is, if you're using attendances as a measure of sustainability then most current Premiership clubs would fail, including Falcons I think.

Most Premiership clubs can put their 'sustainability' down to a generous financial backer. That's not sustainability, it's dependence. We don't have that backer at the moment but I think the idea is that we'll have more chance of attracting one if we're in the Prem.

There are I believe two types of business models for those owning a rugby club or any other sports club for that matter.

1, Be a self sufficient business based on attendances and sponsorship opportunities with the key being to " live within your means " this is pretty much what our owner Semore is working towards and is in my opinion the absolute correct way to move forward and achieve the long term sustainability of the club.

2, Have a big financial backer as you mentioned who is willing to pump millions of pounds into the club with no chance of getting any return (only major losses....I believe ours have recently run at about 2/3million per year if not more) and if things don't go to plan that backer may withdraw their funding at anytime with the potential implications been the club going out of business.

I personally just don't see that backer around for Leeds as if they were my guess would be that they would be involved with the club now whilst in the Championship putting the building blocks in place for a future in the Premiership (I could well be wrong)

I would certainly be interested as to what other Leeds supporters opinions are on the subject.as I said earlier it would be great to have you back in the Prem....a guaranteed 10 points for us for a start. Happy days!!

The point about big money backers is correct - just look at the comments from Boujeddal at Toulon recently. I don't think they would stay top flight without him, just as we eventually drifted downwards after SJH'S millions left until the current owner took over.

I know there are entrenched views on here and I can't honestly comment on Yorkshire. However, I would like to see the AP expand in the same way that the Super tournament has. Currently the format isn't ideal but they are at the stage I believe just before they move to 2 properly competitive and professional leagues with promotion and relegation.

Sadly we are a long way from that and the sham promotion/relegation situation at the moment coupled with the pointless cup needs rectifying.

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